3.24.24, "A Great Day!" Palm Sunday at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena, CA

Psalm 118.19-29; Mark 11.1-11

Oh, what a beautiful mornin'

Oh, what a beautiful day

I got a beautiful feelin'

Everything's goin' my way!

Over the years of ministry, it has been my special joy to celebrate the baptism of a child … 

The family gathers … Christ is present … the saints watch from afar … the angels sing … all God’s creatures rejoice.

All nature sings, and round me rings

The music of the spheres.

This is my Father's world:

I rest me in the thought

Of rocks and trees, of skies and seas--

His hand the wonders wrought.

Hosanna, cries the crowd on that fateful day when Jesus comes to town … down from the Mt. of Olives, on a colt, a young animal …  

The prophet Zechariah wrote:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter Zion! 

Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! 

Lo, your king comes to you; 

triumphant and victorious is he, 

humble and riding on a donkey, 

on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 

He will cut off the chariot from Ephraim 

and the war-horse from Jerusalem; 

and the battle bow shall be cut off, 

and he shall command peace to the nations; 

his dominion shall be from sea to sea, 

and from the River to the ends of the earth.

The church commemorates the day with palms … the ancient sign of victory … a new day coming … a day of peace and prosperity … when violence shall cease, and war be no more.

A great day … joyful songs and the cries of children … 

The day our LORD enters the city of Jerusalem … 

the heart of the matter, 

where cross the crowded ways of life … 

religion at its most intense … 

the Roman Empire with its legions … 

commerce and trade, poverty and disease … 

Jesus enters on a young donkey … 

a gentle beast of burden, 

to carry the burdens we all bear … 

burdens of love and broken dreams … 

burdens of hope and shattered lives … 

burdens common to all, 

and burdens unique - for our time and place.

Into that fabled city on a hill, Jesus rides amidst the hopes and fears of the age … Jesus comes, not as a warrior, with sword and spear, but as the Prince of Peace, with healing in his wings.

It’s common for some branches of Christianity these days to confuse the cross and the sword … I’ve seen images of Jesus cradling an AR-15, bulging muscles, hardened fists … a Rambo-like character eager for blood. 

Have you seen some of these images? 

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Christ is no Rambo.

The cross is not a weapon.

God is not at war with humanity.

God is not at war with you or me.

Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a gentle beast of burden.

Jesus goes to the Cross to rescue and redeem the lost.

Jesus becomes the gentle beast of burden, to carry away the sins of the world.

To reconcile us to God!

Earlier this morning, we celebrated the baptism of Noah John Stepanian … a great day for all of us … 

Baptism is a bridge … a bridge

between our present and Noah’s tomorrow … 

a bridge between past and future … 

right here, right now … 

from all that has been, to all that can be … from the ancient families of Sarah and Abraham, to all the families to come.

A bridge in time … and a bridge from the very heart of Christ to each of us … 

Christ stands in the water, and welcomes all of us … 

little Noah John … 

Mom and Dad, Grandparents, Godparents … young and old … 

infants, children, youth, adults … 

all are welcomed to the waters of baptism, in a place where the Tower still stands.

The language of baptism is filled with promises … 

A promise made by God … you are mine.

A promise made by the parents - yes, we are yours, and we will give to Noah John all that we can … the material blessings of this life, and the spiritual blessings of Christ.

A promise made by the church … we will abide with these parents, and we will provide love and care … 

A promise made by all of us … we will stand with Christ in Jordan’s water … we will honor the truth, the life, and the goodness of God, in this place, where the Tower still stands.

A real tower, of stone and steel, but wherever there is love, there’s a tower to be found, where you can worship God …

Whoever you are, a spiritual tower - reaching high into the heavens, rooted in the earth … call it the Cross of Christ, or Jacob’s ladder … call it faith, hope, and love … call it grace, mercy, and peace … call it the Triune God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

By baptism, we give this child a past:

A Christian past, the Christian story … the stories of Adam and Eve, Sarah and Abraham … Moses and Miriam and the Prophets of Old … Mary and Joseph … the life and work of Jesus … the stories of the early church … Peter, James, and John … the Apostle Paul … Lydia, Dorcas, and Priscilla … from sea to shining sea, and all across the world … stories of love and hope.

And with Baptism, God gives to us a future … Noah John will carry on the good work of Christ … 

From time-to-time, Noah John will look back at us … he’ll see us all standing here, praying for him, wishing him the very best … 

He’ll hear our words and remember our care … 

he’ll remember the Christmas Story, and the Easter Story … and all the stories of faith; 

he’ll remember good food, and good times … and he’ll remember moments of sadness and difficulty … 

he’ll know, and remember, one vital piece of the story:  he is loved … 

loved by a gracious God, 

loved by his family … 

loved by Mom and Dad, 

loved by faithful pastors and church organists, and all the music … 

and he will turn to all us, and whisper to each one of us: Thank You!

Then he’ll turn to face his future … to take up his own work and life, to set the course for generations still to come … the great onward march of time … 

To wave the palms of victory … shout Hosanna … do the work of love … help others to the waters of Baptism.

Dear Noah John … we’re glad you’re here.

We give to you our blessing and our love.

Our prayers go with you.

The palms signal God’s victory over death and sorrow.

The water of your baptism seals you to the heart of God.

And the heart of God holds you forever.

Hallelujah and Amen!

April 17, 2022, "The Tower Still Stands," Westminster Presbyterian Church, Pasadena

 Isaiah 65.17-25; John 20.1-18

It’s been quite the week.

A little of this and a little of that.

A week of good things.

And even some sad things.

We’ve been on top of our game.

And we’ve been kicked around the block.

We knew what we were doing.

And we didn’t have a clue.

We were pleased and happy.

We were disappointed and ticked off.

We ran outta gas.

And a friend helped us.

It’s been quite the week … 

Holy Week we call it … and holiness means special, set aside, noteworthy; calls for our attention; God is holy, and holy smoke and holy mackerel - the smoke of incense rising to heaven, and fish eaten on Friday … 

Holy Week: a special week, a week that calls for our attention, a week that sums up, and gathers in, the ebb and flow of life, the good, the bad, and the ugly.

What a week it’s been.

 

Christ enters Jerusalem, the people shout their dreams … disappointment sets in, the crowds turn ugly … the powers that be grow uneasy … things get messy real quick.

Pilate takes charge … Jesus is just another political dissident, a trouble maker, one of the usual suspects; better to crucify him now, fast and furious, to show the world some Roman muscle. 

Religious people had their own ideas, too … protect the turf, keep things smooth, don’t upset the applecart … keep the Roman Empire happy … a deal had been worked out - no one liked it, yet everyone lived by it.

The power of Rome and the power of religion!

They got together that week, the infamous week we call holy.

Judas was willing to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver … Pilate was ready to sign the death warrant and wash his hands of the affair.

When political power, and religious domination, come together, we can be sure it’s going to end badly.

From the bloody crusades of the 11th Century to the Inquisition of the 15th Century … from the suppression of Galileo’s scientific work to the burning of witches in Salem … from England’s Oliver Cromwell to Governor George Wallace of Alabama, from Luther’s hatred of Jews to the horror of the Nazi Holocaust.

When hyper-religion and power-politics meet up in the public square, it ends badly - there is blood to be drawn and death to be had.

What a week it’s been.

But time moves on, and so does God … another week:

The Empty Tomb … the surprise of it all, the truth about God’s creation, and our place within it … 

The Empty Tomb shouts to the world: life prevails … love wins!

The Empty Tomb shouts to the world … don’t give up, don’t give in … cry your tears, and look for deliverance … like Mary Magdalene by the tomb, weeping her eyes out, wondering what has happened … alone in that quiet place.

The rest of the disciples scurry away to the safety of their homes … Mary stays the course; she’s willing to weep … she waits in the sorrow of a broken heart. 

All her life, she’s heard the message: Wait for the LORD! And that’s exactly what Mary does … she waits!

And then it happens … a rare and impossible gift … two angels in white … and finally … Jesus himself … 

The angels give Mary a chance to pour out her heart … isn’t that what angels do?

These angels offer no advice; they ask about her tears, and they listen.

Pastoral care at its best - no advice, no preaching, no scolding, no goals to be had - just a question, a question, about her tears, and then, the angels listen. 

A gift for anyone in distress … God’s angels listen to us, and we can be angels for one another: we ask how it is; then we listen … listen for as long as it takes … angels aren’t in a hurry. They listen to a broken heart.

Listen … and be Silent - two powerful words: spelled with the same letters … Listen … Silent … Silent … Listen.

Sometimes I come home with my own little pile of burdens, and say to Donna: “Don’t say anything; just listen to me.”

To listen to someone, we have to be silent.

To be silent, means we can listen.

Mary turns around … wonder why she turned?

Was she done pouring out her heart to the angels? 

Did she hear something? Sense something?

She turns … there’s Jesus.

She thinks it’s the gardener.

I love that moment of misunderstanding.

Jesus IS the gardener … all things through him created, the Word of God … the first Garden of Eden … the Garden of Gethsemane, the Garden Tomb … the final Garden, the Garden of the new heavens and the new earth … the river of life and the tree of life, for the healing of the nations.

Jesus IS the gardener … 

Creating … giving life … making all things new … then and there; here and now … making all things new … here in this place and in our time, our lives, our world .. right here in our midst … in this place, and all around the town.

People of Westminster - the Tower still stands … 

When I drive up Lake Avenue, there it is … shining bright against the mountains to the north … the Tower still stands.

Yes, it’s steel and stone, and it’s so much more.

It embodies the hopes and dreams of every soul that has ever lived … the hopes and dreams of everyone alive today … and all the children still to come … a reminder … a reminder … in our world there IS a place where tears are honored with a holy silence, a place of peace and hope, renewal; a place where truth is told, love given, mercy extended, humility practiced, justice pursued, … with a generous welcome to all.

Dear friends …

The Tower still stands … and Christ is Risen!

Hallelujah and Amen!

March 24, 2013 - "Everyone Loves a Parade"

Zechariah 9.9-10, Luke 19.28-40

Everyone loves a parade.

From the Rose Bowl in Pasadena to Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City …

And small-town extravaganzas with a home-coming queen on a flat-bed trailer pulled by a John Deere fresh off the field.

Marching bands and twirling batons … wads of cotton candy and glo-stick necklaces … cheap trinkets and wonderful memories.

Everyone loves a parade!

On this fateful day in Jerusalem, two parades made their entrance … one from the east, from the Mt. of Olives, a Rabbi from Galilee coming into the city on a donkey - as spelled out in the Scriptures – Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter Jerusalem! Lo, you king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on a donkey [Zechariah 9:9].

A beast of burden, quiet and faithful, a farm animal. 

When the kings came to Jerusalem, they rode donkeys.

As if to say:

This isn’t about power.

This isn’t about war.

The king is a king governed by humility.

The king is a whose purpose is peace.

Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts [Zechariah 4:6].

On this day in Jerusalem, in the spring of the year 30, or thereabouts, the week before Passover, there came a man riding on a donkey.

Rabbi Jesus … and his disciples were shouting.

Some folks saw what was happening and spread their cloaks on the ground to welcome him … Who knows, he might be important … he might be the One!

Other stories tell of palm branches being waved – a salute to royalty.

Is this some future king for Israel?

The people longed for a new day of national glory.

With a mighty king and powerful armies to rid Judah of its enemies.

When the nation would once again be sovereign and free.

There’s a great irony at the end of that fateful week … when Jesus dies, a crucified man … an enemy of the state … Pilate affixes to his cross, The King of the Jews.

They dressed him in robes of purple and plaited a crown of thorns for him - so much of the King of the Jews.

Rome sent a message to the people with the first nail – this is what happens to anyone who threatens Rome… we’re in change, and Caesar is lord, and we have no patience for rabble rousers.

But Rome didn’t act alone; it acted in partnership … a coalition of forces … Rome and Jerusalem… politicians and religious leaders - the powerful and the privileged … for they all found comfort in the status quo - they had theirs to enjoy, and no one, but no one, was going to upset the apple cart.

That the religious officials should cooperate with Rome is no surprise.

Jerusalem’s temple elite enjoyed favorable status … don’t get me wrong; they didn’t like Rome, but they knew what side their bread was buttered on.

Think of Parisians who collaborated during WW 2 with the Nazis – politicians and church leaders signed on and raised their arms in salute to Hitler; they may not have liked the Nazis, but they knew where the power was.

Jerusalem’s temple officials had an agreement with Rome – We’ll keep the people quiet, and you preserve our power.

As the parade enters Jerusalem, the religious leaders quickly assemble to meet Jesus, and tell him, Hush your people up; we don’t need to make a fuss here. We don’t want Rome to notice. 

Jesus enters Jerusalem and goes quickly to the Temple.

Drives out the money-changers and folks selling souvenirs.

And Jesus says to them, It is written,

      ‘My house shall be a house of prayer;

      but you have made it a den of robbers.

I can imagine the response of the temple leaders - horrified they were.

Yikes, there he goes again, quoting the Bible.

Turning it upside down.

Telling us we’ve got it all wrong.

How can we have it all wrong?

Look at this place, this temple; it’s beautiful.

Look at Jerusalem - thousands of Passover pilgrims, spending money, filling our inns and buying our trinkets, what’s wrong with that?

St. Peter’s Square jammed with the faithful.

Churches filled on Easter Sunday.

Hey, we all have to make a living, don’t we?

What’s the big deal, Jesus?

Why are you such a problem?

Our Roman overseers are going to get nervous.

Be quiet.

Hush up.

Stop it.

Let well enough along.

Quit talking about the Bible so much.

In Jerusalem that day, there was another parade.

Coming in from the west.

Pilate’s parade.

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Idumea, Judea and Samaria.

Leading a column of imperial cavalry on restless horses trained for war, followed by seasoned foot-soldiers, armed to the teeth.

Think of Moscow’s May Day Parade, soldiers, tanks and mobile missile launchers.

Or a flight of F-16s roaring over a speedway after the National Anthem; the crowd erupts in a great cry.

Pilate’s parade.

From Caesarea Maritima, “Caesarea on the Sea” – a city devoted to Caesar – 60 miles to the west, a port city on the Mediterranean.

Think Malibu, or Newport Beach!

And where was Jerusalem?

In the mountains to the east – think Big Bear.

Pilate enjoyed his Malibu, who wouldn’t?

But when festival time came, Pilate made the journey to the mountains of Jerusalem, a show of force, just to be sure folks knew the lay of the land and didn’t get any dumb ideas.

Here’s how two New Testament scholars describe it - Dominic Crossan and Marcus Borg in their excellent book, The Last Week:

A visual panoply of imperial power: cavalry on horses, foot soldiers, leather armor, helmets, weapons, banners, golden eagles mounted on poles, sun glinting on metal and gold. Sounds: the marching of feet, the creaking of leather, the clinking of bridles, the beating of drums. The swirling of dust [p.3].

We still have the two parades, don’t we?

Jesus and Pilate.

Pilate and his horses … Jesus and his donkey - still ride into our lives from opposite directions … one of power, the other of peace … the one determined to maintain the status quo of the privileged few; the other, determined to tell the truth and set people free from domination and oppression … two parades that day … always two parades … one of power, one of peace.

And we have to choose … which shall it be?

The rabbi on a donkey or Pilate on a horse?

I think of a hymn, written in 1845, when the United States invaded Mexico … James R. Lowell, the poet wrote:

Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to decide,

In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side;

Some great cause, some great decision, offering each the bloom or blight,

And the choice goes by forever, ’twixt that darkness and that light.

I think of Joshua in the latter days of his life, addressing the people now in the Promised Land:

You can’t serve both the LORD and other gods.

Choose today whom you will serve.

As for me and my family, we will serve the LORD.

I think of the Grail Knight who advises Indiana Jones:

Choose wisely, for while the true Grail will bring you life, the false Grail will take it from you.

Two parades that day came to Jerusalem … a man on a humble donkey, Pilate on a prancing horse.

Which parade would I have chosen?

Pilate’s parade catches the eye, doesn’t it?

Who knows, I might have joined Pilate’s parade.

But it’s Jesus who tells us the truth. Amen and Amen!